NooklyStoryBuilder · Funnel benchmarks
DAY 1since launchSat, Apr 18
Seven funnel milestones. Let’s beat our baseline.
StoryBuilder retired Friday, 4/17. We’ve taken back the core experience — let’s make it remarkable.
Scoreboard · Start → Finish conversion
We’re -92.9pp behind the flow we just replaced.
Retired flow · benchmark7.1%1,738 starts · Apr 1–16 · 16 days
−-92.9ppGap to close
New flow · nookly publisher100.0%1,738 starts · since launch · 1 day
Position map
Same seven ordinal positions · different steps inside themRetired
Choose story type
Plot details form
Plot generation + review
Cast the hero
Supporting cast
View checkout page
Initiate checkout
New
Provide topic
Cast the hero
Plot details form
Plot generation + review
Supporting cast
View checkout page
Initiate checkout
⇅ Different step at this slot in the new flow
- Step 2: both flows commit — retired to narrative scaffolding, new to a character anchor. Different shapes, not lighter or heavier.
- Milestone 1 & 2 are inverted: retired does plot-generation at M1 and hero-casting at M2. New does plot-details at M1 and plot-generation at M2. A slot-to-slot rate comparison at M1 and M2 is not apples-to-apples — read the step cards for both flows in context.
- Milestone 3 and Finish are the two slots where both flows do the same step. These are the honest parity points.
This week’s attack list
Biggest gap → what we do about it. Smaller gaps below.#1Biggest gapPlatform call needed
FinishInitiate checkout
Retired49.0%vsNew—
#2Tactical fix
Milestone 1Plot details form
Gap to close52.0pp#3Tactical fix
Step 1Provide topic
Gap to close88.4ppStep-by-step · diagnostic layer
One card per position · cumulative rates show how the scoreboard math is builtStep 101of 7
Retired flowChoose story typePicker: 6 preset types88.4%from prior step
Cumulative88.4%of starters
New flowProvide topicOpen text input—from prior step
Cumulative100.0%of starters
Regime change: picker → open input. Some fall-off is structural, not broken UX.
ParityMatchedWithin 1pp of the retired flow.
Step 202of 7
Retired flowPlot details form6 fields: genre, tone, length, setting, conflict, twist71.8%from prior step
Cumulative63.5%of starters
New flowCast the heroUpload photo + name + traits (3 fields)—from prior step
Cumulative100.0%of starters
Different commitment shape — narrative scaffolding vs. character anchor. Rates near parity.
ParityMatchedWithin 1pp of the retired flow.
Milestone 103of 7
Different step at this slot — plot-details moved here from Step 2.
Retired flowPlot generation + reviewAI returns structured plot; user advances52.0%from prior step
Cumulative33.0%of starters
New flowPlot details form6 fields, now after hero—from prior step
Cumulative100.0%of starters
ParityMatchedWithin 1pp of the retired flow.
Milestone 204of 7
Different step at this slot — plot-generation moved here from M1.
Retired flowCast the heroPhoto + name + traits, post-plot78.0%from prior step
Cumulative25.7%of starters
New flowPlot generation + reviewAI returns plot; user advances—from prior step
Cumulative100.0%of starters
ParityMatchedWithin 1pp of the retired flow.
Milestone 305of 7
Retired flowSupporting castOptional: add side characters66.4%from prior step
Cumulative17.1%of starters
New flowSupporting castOptional: add side characters—from prior step
Cumulative100.0%of starters
ParityMatchedWithin 1pp of the retired flow.
Placeholder numbers · real data landing later this week
Milestone 406of 7
Retired flowView checkout pageArrival at payment page · measured by page view85.0%from prior step
Cumulative14.5%of starters
New flowView checkout pageArrival at payment page · measured by page view—from prior step
Cumulative100.0%of starters
New surface — previously invisible. Drop here likely reflects the auth gate triggering before the page fully loads.
ParityMatchedWithin 1pp of the retired flow.
Placeholder numbers · real data landing later this week
Finish07of 7
Retired flowInitiate checkoutClick pay/proceed · email-gated, Stripe49.0%from prior step
Cumulative7.1%of starters
New flowInitiate checkoutClick pay/proceed · auth-gated (account required), Stripe—from prior step
Cumulative100.0%of starters
Regime change: checkout now requires an account. Likely the biggest lever in the gap.
ParityMatchedWithin 1pp of the retired flow.
Revenue side-track
Hardcover upsell
+10.3ppRetired flow42.6%Attach rate
→
New flow52.9%Attach rate